Prunus ‘Tai-Haku’ (Japanese Flowering Cherry)

An ancient Japanese tree, award-winning Prunus ‘Tai-Haku’ is a medium-sized deciduous tree of broad spreading habit, with cherry blossoms of exceptional size and beauty. Opening from pink buds, remarkably large, single, pure white flowers, 2-2.5 in. across (5-6 cm), appear all along the branches in mid to late spring. Held in profuse clusters of 3-4 flowers, the blooms feature 5 petals, which gradually expand to a flat plane. The flowers emerge at the same time as the deep bronze-red leaves, which create a perfect foil to the glowing blossoms. As the season progresses, the serrated leaves turn mid-green before turning orange and gold in fall. A splendid Flowering Cherry which adds drama to the landscape as a single specimen or in avenue plantings.

‘Tai-Haku’ means ‘Big White’ in Japanese, hence its common name of ‘Great White Cherry’. Extinct in Japan, it has been revived from a single specimen found in a Sussex garden.

• Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society
• Grows vigorously with an open spreading habit up to 20 ft. tall and wide (6 m).
• Performs best in full sun in moist, relatively fertile, well-drained soils.
• Perfect choice as specimen plants, lawns, and avenue plantings.
• Prune in midsummer if silver leaf is a problem
• Watch for caterpillars, leaf-mining moths, bullfinches, silver leaf, bacterial canker, and blossom wilt.
• Propagate by budding or grafting, although softwood cuttings in early summer with bottom heat can be successful.